Movie Review - Godzilla Minus One

 

I loved the original Gojira movie and wished they'd come up with something that serious and well scripted.

They finally did.

Godzilla Minus One is a 2023 action monster movie. It is rated PG-13 for fantasy violence and is appropriate for teens and up.

Analysis

Story. Unlike most of the Godzilla films (or monster movies in general) this film is a serious take on the genre and really examines what would happen if Godzilla were real. The movie also follows a small cast of characters from the end of World War II through the months following showing the steps they take to rebuild their lives. This human element helps raise the stakes and make Godzilla's attack seem even more devastating.

Special Effects. This film has amazing special effects. Unlike most movies in the last twenty years that look like video games, everything looks real. I'm impressed with what they managed to do with less than $15 million.

Plot & Pacing. The first half of the movie is a little slow, but once Godzilla attacks Tokyo I was on the edge of my seat.

Overall

Godzilla Minus One is a 2023 action monster movie. It is rated PG-13 for fantasy violence and is appropriate for teens and up. Unlike most of the Godzilla films (or monster movies in general) this film is a serious take on the genre and really examines what would happen if Godzilla were real. The movie also follows a small cast of characters from the end of World War II through the months following showing the steps they take to rebuild their lives. This human element helps raise the stakes and make Godzilla's attack seem even more devastating. This film has amazing special effects. Unlike most movies in the last twenty years that look like video games, everything looks real. I'm impressed with what they managed to do with less than $15 million. The first half of the movie is a little slow, but once Godzilla attacks Tokyo I was on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this film and give it 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. 

   

Movie Review - The Grudge (2004 film)

I don't watch a lot of horror movies, because they tend to be more gore than spine-tingling terror. But a few years ago I saw one that was everything a horror flick should be.

The Grudge is a 2004 supernatural horror film based on a 2002 Japanese film of the same name. It is rated PG-13 and is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

Acting. Sarah Michelle Gellar is one of the greatest actresses ever, and she doesn't disappoint in this film. She really conveys the proper emotions at the proper times. And the actress who plays the ghost is incredible. You'd think she was an actual spectre.

Terror. This movie is truly terrifying without resorting to gore, Nazi death camps, or other overused devices. This movie creates so much terror with just a little music, great production design, and brilliant cinematography.

The Bad

Story & Pacing. This film doesn't have a lot of story which makes it feel long and a little slow. It's a brilliant experiment in filmmaking, but not so brilliant in the entertainment department.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish there had been more story. Developing Jason Behr's character and his story would have helped.

Overall

The Grudge is a a terrifying supernatural horror film that does so much with so little. The filmmakers are able to generate real terror in the viewer without resorting to gore, Nazi death camps, or other overused devices. Instead it relies on just a little music, great production design, and brilliant cinematography. Sarah Michelle Gellar is brilliant in this. The story is a little thin with other characters being underdeveloped which makes the movie feel a little long and slow. If you're looking for a film that is terror without the gore, I recommend this one and give it 3.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

  

 

Movie Review - Metropolis (2001 film)

Back in the day, Suncoast (and it's associated stores) had a membership program. A short-lived part of this program was a monthly magazine promoting the latest media. One month they featured a movie I had never heard of and knew nothing about, but I was intrigued.

Metropolis is a 2001 Japanese science fiction anime film based on the Fritz Lang film of the same name and the manga by Osamu Tezuka, the God of Manga. It is rated PG-13 and is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

Visuals. This movie is so beautiful. Every frame is a masterpiece you could hang on your wall. It was an early experiment to mix traditionally hand-drawn characters with digital cgi backgrounds that worked better than any other attempt. The filmmakers actually went in and recolored the rendered 3D with traditional colors to give it such a natural look. And the Blu-ray really makes the visuals shine.

Music. This movie has great music that fits the unique modern/retro look and feel. It's jazzy and fun.

Characters. This movie has a lot of characters, many of them very flat and undeveloped. But the few main characters they do develop are fleshed out so well and their interactions are so natural and human. When they get it right, they really get it right.

Overall Story. Overall this film has a great story with several separate but connected plots going on that all connect and add to the message of the movie. Unfortunately, the actual telling of the story is a bit garbled.

World. This film creates a wondrous world filled with so many amazing buildings and people and conflict and intrigue. It is a lot of fun just to admire the world and explore it with the main characters.

The Bad

Story Development and Pacing. This movie has story problems with certain important plots underdeveloped and other less important ones labored over. The pacing is good in parts, too quick in others, and too slow in others.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish they had developed certain parts of the story more and ignored some of the stranger parts that felt like side trips.

Overall

Metropolis (2001 film) is a breath-taking visual feast with the perfect marriage between hand drawn animation and computer-generated backgrounds. Almost every frame is a masterpiece you could hang on your wall. The overall story is great with several separate but connected plots going on that all converge and add to the message of the movie. Unfortunately, the actual telling of the story is a bit garbled. When the character development is done right, it is masterfully done creating characters with such depth and humanity you can't help but love them. But many other important characters serve little purpose beyond being plot devices. The music is unique and fits the mood and vibe perfectly. I highly recommend this film and give it 4 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

   

 

Book Review - Clockwork Apple by Osamu Tezuka

I've been a huge Tezuka-sensei fan since I first picked up his science fiction trilogy (The Lost World, Metropolis, Next Word) and Astro Boy. He never ceases to amaze and impress with his wide range of genres and incredible amount of output.

Clockwork Apple by Osamu Tezuka is an anthology of comics book stories. It is available in paperback.

The Good

Miraculous Conception. This story felt like a classic science fiction story from the mid-20th Century. A human and a robot are isolated in space, get married, and miraculously have a child. The story examines the fallout of such an event. It wasn't a great story but was interesting.

A Clockwork Apple. This story was really enjoyable and had a lot of meat. It reminded me of the classic Tunnel at the End of the World. It is about a world that isn't what it seems to be and what happens to an individual who figures that out. The story took a unique spin on a familiar tale, and the execution was well done.

Night on the Bypass. This story involves a conversation between a cab driver and his passenger and the secrets they each have. Short, but really intriguing.

Sack. This was an interesting story about split personalities and medical conditions that can change a persons identity. Not a lot to the story, but an interesting concept.

The Bad

The Execution Ended at Three O'Clock. This was the fist story, but not a great start. It's a generic Nazi-like army killing Jew-like innocents. The only unique point was the secret formula and how it backfired on the main character, which was mildly interesting.

Yellow Dust. This story was very dark about a hostage situation that went very wrong.

Showtime with the Devil. This story is about political intrigue, assassination, and betrayal. It was pretty standard fare. Not a bad story, but not a particularly standout one either.

Homecoming. This is a revenge story about an STD from space. More bitter than clever.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

It's an anthology with more good than bad, so I can't complain.

Overall

Clockwork Apple by Osamu Tezuka is an anthology of dark short stories covering horror, war, crime, science fiction, and just plain weird. All the stories are well done (like most things Tekuza-sensei does) with some being more clever than others. There were some interesting twists on familiar stories that were enjoyable, but there were some that were pretty standard fare. I give this book 4 out of 5 eReaders.

   

Movie Review: Your Name

I enjoy anime. Most of it is mediocre to boring, the good stuff is REALLY good. Anime is known for being original, experimental, and breaking new ground. It is film first, animation second. That's what I like so much about it.

Your Name is a 2016 romantic adventure anime involving time travel. It is rated PG and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Animation. This film is gorgeous. The visuals alone are worth watching this movie for.

Exploration of Themes. This film tackles very common ideas of identity, time travel, and love, but does it in such an original way that I was truly inspired by it. It' so original and fresh.

Pacing. This movie started off slow (like most anime), but it picked up the pace and felt like a western film early on.

The Bad

Exposition & Setup. This film began a little slow and confused. I wasn't sure what was happening. The director could have shown what time it was to better orient the viewer. Also, the characters figured out they were switching bodies pretty quickly and just accepted it. As realistic and the characters and motivations were, that part was a little far fetched. No rational person would ever think that or accept that without mountains of evidence.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the beginning had had more development, showed how the characters discovered they were switching bodies, and explored the differences of boys and girls. All of that was rushed thru.

Overall

Your Name is a fascinating, beautifully animated film that after a slow start had me at the edge of my seat. It explored relationships, identity, and time travel in ways I've never seen before. I give this movie 4.5 boxes of popcorn out of 5.

    

Movie Review: Death Note (2017 Netflix Original Film)

I enjoy reading manga and watching anime, and I get excited for every film adaption that comes along, even though I usually end up disappointed. But let's face it--they only works that would work as a direct adaption are Astro Boy and Akira. Everything else would require a lot of adapting, and die hard fans tend to get mad at such meddling. And most of the time the adapting isn't a great film on its own nor contains enough of the original to make the fans happy. Death Note is an exception. I've never seen the anime or read the manga, so I had no preconceived ideas and can judge the film on its own merits.

Death Note is a 2017 Netflix Original horror film based on the manga and anime of the same name. It tells the story of a boy who is given a journal with which he can kill anyone by writing their name in it. It is rated TV-MA for language, violence, and gore and is appropriate for adults.

The Good

Adaption. I'm really impressed at what an amazing job the filmmakers did to adapt this story. They took the basic elements, ideas, and themes from the manga and created a wholly American production. Watching it, you'd never know this was based on a Japanese property. It had a solid story, a cohesive plot, and developed the themes well. I can understand superfans of the original being upset at all the changes (I myself do the same with properties I love), but they were necessary to make a good film. A direct adaption wouldn't have attracted an American audience.

Pacing. Even though this is based on a Japanese comic and show, it's been completely translated into an American film and so it moves very quickly and never drags. Those who are used to the extreme decompression of anime (it takes four times as long to tell the same story) have complained that it moves too quickly, but an American audience will appreciate the pacing.

Actors. I really like the actors cast as Light, his girlfriend, his father, and the rest (with one exception). They all fit the roles well. I think the reason there has been so much backlash against them online is because of how anti-white certain parts of society are becoming--this prejudice and bias blind them to what's really going on in front of their eyes.

Ryuk. The death god could have gone really badly, but the filmmakers played it smart by hiring a great actor to voice the character and they showed him in the shadows so the cgi wasn't so distracting. He was great every time he appeared on screen, but he wasn't overused so each appearance had maximum impact.

The Bad

L.  I did not like the character of L at all. I did not like the actor they chose to portray him, nor did I like the way he was portrayed. He started out as an interesting character but quickly turned into a schizophrenic nut who was little more than a plot devise.

Music.  During two dramatic moments at the end the filmmakers inserted two old pop songs that did not fit at all and interrupted the drama. I'm not sure what they were thinking.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish it hadn't been so gory. It wasn't necessary to see the actual deaths, and the special effects used almost looked silly.

Overall

Death Note (2017 Netflix Original) is a well-crafted adaption taking the basic elements, ideas, and themes from the manga and created a wholly American production that has a solid story and clear plot. Superfans of the original will probably be upset at all the changes, but they were necessary to make a good film. A direct adaption wouldn't have been a strong movie nor attracted an American audience. I give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

     

TV Show Review - Atom: The Beginning

I am a huge fan of Osamu Tezuka and his most famous creation Mighty Atom aka.Astro Boy. I own all the Manga and have both TV series Tezuka worked on on DVD. There is something magical about his creation that transcends time and national borders. I've been less fond of adaptions of Tezuka's work by other people. They always seem to miss the essential heart in most of Tezuka's work.

Atom: The Beginning is a 2017 12-episode anime based on Osamu Tezuka's Mighty Atom (aka Astro Boy) that focuses on the creators and early attempts at creating a robot. It is rated G and appropriate for all ages.

The Good

Main Characters. The main characters are so well developed and explored; they feel real and I want to see more of them. They also have such a great relationship that is masterfully explored both with times they get along and times they lock horns. It's very dynamic. In the Astro Boy manga, Tenma is shown as a fairly sinister character with little compassion. This version explores why he's like that and makes you feel sympathetic for him.

Six (Mighty Atom Prototype). This takes place before the creation of Astro Boy, a robot that is so human. This offers an excellent explanation for how that is possible and shows you what early attempts to create such a personality look like. It is so well thought out.

Action. This show is filed with some amazing action that is beautifully animated and makes you feel like you are in the middle of it. It couldn't have been handled better.

The Bad

Pacing.  Like most anime this show is very decompressed, which means it moves very slowly and takes awhile to get anywhere. For a western audience, this would be pretty boring.

Flat Characters.  While the main characters are extremely well developed and interesting, most of the other characters are very flat and uninteresting. Most are little more than plot devices.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I think the producers took the right approach and did a great job adding to the existing mythology. There's nothing I would have done differently.

Overall

Atom: The Beginning is a charming anime that focuses on Tenma and Ochanomizu's years in school developing robots. It does an excellent job examining their relationship, their differences, and their goals as well as the birth of Astro Boy's basic character. Like most anime, it is slowly paced with amazing action scenes disbursed throughout. I give this show 4 out of 5 remotes.

   

Movie Review - One Piece Film: Gold

I've heard of One Piece, but I've never read the manga or watched the anime, and I've never really wanted to. But then I saw a trailer for the film, and I couldn't rent it fast enough. But would the film live up to the trailer?

One Piece Film: Gold is a 2016 action fantasy anime film from Toei Animation based on the manga of the same name by Eiichiro Oda. It's unrated, but is appropriate for tweens and up due to some mild language and fantasy violence.

Overview

The Straw Hat Pirates visit a floating casino run by a man who has the power to control gold and engage in a battle of who can cheat whom better.

The Good

Opening Sequence. The opening sequence is brilliant! It's basically a large music production mixed with a giant action sequence that manages to introduce the main characters, motivations, and what to expect from the story in just a few minutes. I watched it multiple times.

Villains. The villains were so fun from their designs to their unique quirks to their personalities. They were, without doubt, the stars of the show.

Visuals. This film was a visual feast from the colors to the sets to the costumes to the special effects. Even if the story had been dreadful, this would be worth watching for the visuals alone.

Animation. This film was very well animated with beautiful fighting scenes to great facial emotions. The long, lanky design of the characters was used to the maximum with the frantic movements that both communicated emotion and looked cool in fight scenes.

Plot Twists. This movie had plot twist after plot twist after plot twist, most I expected but a few I never saw coming. And they kept coming up to the very end.

Nonwestern Style of Storytelling. This movie was very watchable to a Western audience, but it wasn't paced or plotted like a typical American film. There were a couple of times I thought we had hit the climax and it would end soon, but it kept going, developing everything fully where an American film would cut it short to fit a certain pattern and pacing. It was nice and refreshing.

The Bad

Straw Hat Pirates. The Straw Hat Pirates are the main characters of the series and movie, and they are probably beloved in the manga and anime series. But in this movie they were the weakest part. They were never properly introduced, so I didn't really know who they were or what they could do until I looked it up afterwards. For fans of the series, this wouldn't be a problem, but it wouldn't have hurt the film to introduce the characters and flesh them out even briefly. The title sequence wasn't enough. They also aren't the main characters of the movie, the King of the casino and his co-patriots are, and they are much more interesting and much more fleshed out.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the main characters, The Straw Hat Pirates, had been more interesting.

Overall

One Piece Film: Gold is a great movie with beautiful visuals, interesting villains, great storytelling, tons of plot twists, and amazing animation and action. I give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.